By Anthony Wootton
Week 3 of the NFL season preseason is upon us. It’s the dress rehearsal for teams before final cuts are made to rosters and the new season begins.
Some teams will be resting key players this week, while others will aim to give their main men some game time ahead of the big kick-off. These games are the last opportunity for fringe players to prove to their coaches that they’re worthy of a place on their first teams. It’s boom or bust for many.
Here are three plays I’m liking this week.
49ers vs. Texans: -110 Niners ATS (-3)
Most of the San Francisco 49ers’ starters were rested during their road win against the Minnesota Vikings last Saturday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has said that he will give game time to a few of them on Thursday night against the Houston Texans.
This is another road game on a tight turnaround, but it’s a chance for quarterback Trey Lance to get some vital game experience with his first team. He’s now the face of the franchise under center.
The 49ers are expected to be playoff contenders this season, while the Texans are a team in transition.
Against the spread, the Niners are 3-point favorites at -110.
Expect San Francisco to dominate on both sides of the ball, setting us up nicely with a winning start to the week.
Bills vs. Panthers: +210 Bills ML
The Buffalo Bills are big outsiders on the moneyline, at +210.
This team is coming off a 42-15 win over the Denver Broncos, and they have a quarterback battle for the backup spot behind Josh Allen. Case Keenum completed 16 of 18 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown against Denver, while Matt Barkley went 7/8 for 65 yards.
Allen isn’t likely to feature on the road to the Carolina Panthers this weekend, but the Bills are up there as Super Bowl contenders this year, and they have enough depth to dominate in Charlotte.
The Panthers have announced Baker Mayfield as their starting quarterback, which means he’ll likely sit out or be handed a series or two to familiarise himself with the playbook. Rookie Matt Corral is out, Sam Darnold looks done, meaning PJ Walker will be the main man taking snaps.
The odds on Buffalo are just too good to resist.
Commanders vs. Ravens: -110 Ravens ATS (-6)
The Baltimore Ravens last lost a preseason game in 2015.
Last weekend they beat the Arizona Cardinals 24-17 to extend their preseason winning streak to 22 games. Can they make to No. 23 on Saturday? They host a Washington Commanders team that’s yet to taste victory this summer.
Washington has failed to score in four quarters across their two preseason games this year while giving up 47 points in the process.
The Ravens are at home and are an incredible 19-2 against the spread during their unbeaten preseason run. They’re 6-point favorites at -110 this weekend, which sets us up nicely for another win.
